BALA LEGION’S HERITAGE MANOR PLAN ‘MOMENT IN TIME’ AMID MUSKOKA, CANADA’S ‘HOUSING CRISIS,’ SAYS BRANCH #424 PRESIDENT DENNIS MILLS

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

BALA — Within a month Bala has lost its Beer Store and TD Bank branch, but hope is stirring in the most unexpected of places: the local Legion.

Branch #424 president Dennis Mills, a former four-term Toronto Danforth Liberal MP and lifelong advocate for community causes, stands at the heart of this effort to build the Bala Legion Heritage Manor.

“The challenge is getting the Ontario Command convinced there is no exposure or risk to them. They want to make sure we have a financial and business plan. And we’ve checked all the boxes.

“We’ve checked all the boxes and it’s a moment in time,” he says, describing #424’s bold plan to transform its three-acre property into housing for at least 130 people.

“How can it not work? I don’t see what box we’re missing.”

• Bala Legion Advances Housing Plan For 130 People Amid Community Renewal Push

• Project gains strong member backing as township, district, MP and MPP express support

• New development would replace outdated branch, add some affordable rentals and stabilize Branch #424’s future

The Bala Legion Heritage Manor would include the branch on the ground floor, left, and four storeys of rental apartments next to it where the existing Branch #424 in now located. CONCEPT DRAWINGS Bala Legion

Mills says they’re about 60-70 per cent through the planning process and about halfway toward opening.

“So we’re confident. And we haven’t even gone public yet.”

The four-storey complex would allow tenants to go down to the branch without having to go outside.

The branch executive and building committee are working with Finnegan Marshall, a development cost consulting company, to develop the ambitious project.

In early November after Remembrance Day they received a file number from CMHC for their application to be officially reviewed.

“We want this project to support the community on multiple levels including employment. And offer stability in a region where housing has become scarce.”

• With half of members committed and CMHC looking favourably toward the proposal, the Legion is “better than halfway” to launching construction on one of Muskoka’s most ambitious community-led housing projects

• “This isn’t just a Bala project,” says Mills. “It’s a model that could help communities across the country. It truly is a moment in time.”

Mills says it will help Muskoka’s “housing crisis.”

“As well as provide long-term branch sustainability .

He hopes to break ground this spring, once the soil is cleared down to the bedrock. In October the land received a clean bill of health.

“We still need to clear two feet of soil away to the bedrock for site preparation. I’m hoping for that by mid-March.”

And if all goes as planned, construction could be completed in less than a year, Mills predicted.

“We’re also very focused on ensuring there are local sub trades involved in the building.”

Building for Tomorrow

Mills tells MuskokaTODAY.com it represents “a moment in time” locally and ultimately nationally.

And that plans continue to accelerate as community members, political leaders and local partners line up behind the ambitious project, calling it a structural solution to Muskoka’s housing crisis and a lifeline for the future of the historic branch opened in the early 1970s when the Bala Public School classes were moved to Glen Orchard. The current branch building would be demolished and replaced onsite.

From Loss to Renewal

The closures of familiar institutions have left Bala residents shaken.

Yet, on November 20, about 80 legion members gathered to hear the latest update.

Their presence was more than symbolic; it was a declaration of faith in the project. Already, 119 of 240 members have signed on with deposit cheques, a tangible sign that the community is ready to invest in its own future.

Priority for the preferential housing list will go first to branch members, veterans, the community and then the public.

Ultimately they’d like to have 140 people signed up — “because there are always some people who won’t be able to commit in the end.”

The vision is ambitious

Modern housing and a new branch facility in a corner location of the Manor would be the largest single joint development of its kind in the town:

• Apartments with one and some two bedrooms and dens

• Priced at market value with some affordable housing — with district assistance

• Monthly rents are expected to average around $1,200

The new 10,000-square-foot legion would be fully integrated into the complex and built to code, providing long-term operational stability and improved community space.

Mills calls that a “sustainable rental royalty.”

Support Across the Board

The project has drawn endorsements from every level of government:

Muskoka Lakes Township has already approved zoning with only a minor variance to go.

Muskoka District Chair Jeff Lehman says there is money available from a dedicated housing fund.

MPP Graydon Smith, Ontario’s associate Minister of housing, and MP Scott Aitchison have voiced support. With CMHC apparently telling Aitchison the application so far appears favourable once, but still must be fully reviewed and approved.

Even the Wahta First Nation, whose members make up 20% of the branch, has expressed interest.

Builders have also stepped forward to cover some early soft development costs.

A Legacy Beyond Bala

For Mills, the project is more than bricks and mortar. It is personal.

His father, Alfred, flew 80 missions in Lancaster bombers during the Second World War, while his mother, Alice, also served four years overseas in England. Their service instilled in him a belief that the Legion must evolve to remain relevant.

The answer, he believes, is housing — not only for Bala, but potentially across Canada. With 1,400 branches nationwide, Mills sees “a chance for the Legion’s Dominion Command to help reshape the national housing equation.

“It’s a moment in time, we must seize. We have a real shot at it.”

Decade Ago It Was Obvious

Mills has spent nearly a decade developing the concept.

“We knew we’d never survive on bar sales,” he recalls of executive discussions at the time. “So we thought: how can we materialize the land?”

Mills remembers then-president Royce Jarrick telling him: “I’ve got your back. Go find ideas and options.”

Other branch executives had explored using the large rear open lot for development or other purposes over the years. However they only amounted to smaller uses like car shows that featured military vehicles.

But Mills said the idea stalled without political momentum, professional backing or a viable business model.

The new proposal “checks the boxes that weren’t checked before.”

Modern Housing, New Branch

This plan envisions a mix of one- and a few two-bedroom apartments — most at market rents with a portion designated as affordable units — constructed on the Legion’s three-acre property.

Looking Ahead

If successful, Bala’s project will join similar Legion-led developments in Sault Ste. Marie (108 units) and Victoria (300), proving that community organizations can be catalysts for change.

‘Chance to Change Housing Equation’

Mills feels said the Legion’s national network of 1,400 branches positions the veterans organization to play a meaningful role in addressing Canada’s housing crisis.

He believes the Legion’s national network of 1,400 branches places it in a unique position to “change the housing equation in Canada.”

And in Bala and Muskoka Lakes, where closures have left gaps in daily life, the promise of new homes feels like more than development. It feels like renewal.

Zoning in Place, Variances Minimal

The Township of Muskoka Lakes has already endorsed the proposal. The land is pre-zoned for rental use, requiring only a minor variance before construction can begin.

The site sits in the centre of Bala, surrounded by key amenities: the FreshMart grocery store, library and community centre and a municipal parking are all within about 50 yards of the Legion property.

The adjacent arena, Mills notes, is used year-round for crafts fairs, community events and recreational programs, ensuring the area remains active even outside hockey season. A township review going to council this month recommends that building at least remains a community hub.

Mills said it is essential the Legion “demonstrate it is not profiting from its land,” but creating long-term sustainability. He calls the model “rental royalty.”

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